We all love visual “diy” instruction guides. Here are some of the best links I have found that can get you going on new and exciting projects without spending loads of cash. All of these are great, classy do it yourself projects. No junky stuff! If you love this post, please share it. Enjoy!
1. Singer Sewing Machine up-cycled into a writing desk by Quirky Interiors- here
2.DIY Mirror Dresser- Teresa made her own mirrored dresser. All she needed was mirror- which was cut into pieces to fit the dresser. Ralph Lauren- Regent Metallics- Silver Base, Liquid Nails- Mirror adhesive, and her dresser. (Save your old mirrors, as new mirrors can cost anywhere between $80 and $150. ) Check out her transformation at Andersen Seven Blog
3. Paper Bag Floors- Use Paper Bags To Transform a Concrete or Sub-plywood Floor “My boys room is about 10 x 12 and I did the whole thing for about $80, but I have enough supplies left over that the next room will cost about $30. Most of you are probably wondering what the heck paper on a floor looks like and I don’t blame you, it’s kind of a weird idea.” Check the final result, it looks amazing domesticimperfection.com
4. How To Stain PVC Pipe So It Looks Like Wood- “sand the length of the pipe and fittings with 60-grit sandpaper. If you really want to scratch the pipe for deeper wood graining, use 24-grit” “Choose a stain. I prefer Old Masters Gel Stain, which you can easily wipe on and it dries quickly” Check out pvcworkshop.com for pictures
5. How To Create Faux Stone Walls Using Joint Compound, Latex Paint And Black Glaze- Found on diynetwork.com
DIY Mercury Glass Mirrors – Found on homeheartcraft.com
6. Create Your Own Mercury Glass Mirrors With Simple Glass Frames– “What you need: Thrift store picture frames with glass. The glass is key! If you can find some that are chipped or cracked even better, that will add to the vintage feel. You will also need a spray bottle with one part vinegar to 3 parts water. And lastly you will need the miracle product Krylon Looking Glass Spray Paint“ Check out the amazing before and after pictures on homeheartcraft.com
7. Cover Your Windows In Lace- Add lace to your window with cornstarch. Iron your lace and cut to fit. Mix 2 tbsp cornstarch with about an equal amount of cold water, then mix that in about a cup and a half of boiling water. Paint a thick layer on the window pane. Then apply another thick layer on top using random brush strokes being sure to get all the corners. To remove it, you just wash it off with warm water- Found on annabelvita.com
8. Faux Metallic Faux Finish HOW TO – Step By Step Tutorial-“I tried about 5 different methods and through trial and error, finally got the exact look I wanted so that you don’t have to figure it out the hard way. ” Found on littlemisspennywenny.blogspot.com
9. Weathered Paint Finishes – Step by Step –“ Start with a base coat of Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint in Typewriter. Allow to dry. We applied a 2nd coat that was a 50/50 solution of Shutter Gray & Grain Sack (both Miss Mustard’s Milk Paint). Immediately wipe off the 2nd coat with a rag. Wipe off as much as you like, depending on how dark or light you want the piece to look. Again, remember …. no rules. Dry Brush on Ironstone Milk Paint to achieve desired lightness, feathery and streaky effect. Seal and buff with white or clear wax.”
View more beautiful paint finishes at sandandsisal.com
10. HOW To Achieve An Aged Silver Finish – Get the look of aged silver with a couple of easy steps. “I used Krylon’s Metallic Brilliant Silver for the chairs.” “Next, I used my Valspar Antiquing Glaze.””I used a dry brush technique which really gave me the aged patina I was going for, without all the painting on and wiping off that I did on the first chair” Read more on her site froufrugal.blogspot.com
HGTV Magazine Showcases Cutting Edge Stencils –blog.cuttingedgestencils.com
11. Bone Inlay STENCILS! Get the look of bone inlay chests seen in the magazines with paint and stencils from Cutting edge Stencils ““Now, with our “Indian Inlay” stencil kit from the Kim Myles “Global Glam Collection”, surrounding yourself with stunning furniture is just a one fun DIY project away. These beautiful furniture stencils make transforming that garage sale find into a treasure that works in almost any decor. DIY decorators can also stencil cabinets, doors, floors and frames! These “Indian Inlay” stencils look marvelous in just about any decor from classical to contemporary. Kit includes 5 stencils, versatile and easy to use!” Visit cuttingedgestencils.com
One of the prettiest projects with this stencil comes from domesticimperfection.com
12. Learn how to create faux wood stained concrete- Create wood floors outside using concrete stain. Oh yes you can! Found on social.decorativeconcretekingdom.com
13. Make Your Own Molds Using Playdough and Durham’s Water Putty – “Make sure you have plenty of playdough. The piece must not be thicker than the playdough is and there needs to be at least a half inch or more playdough past the edges of the piece you want to clone. Press the piece you desire to clone down into the playdough”
“For the next step you will need some Durham’s Water Putty and some water. You can buy the Water Putty at your local lumber yard store. The instructions on the Water Putty can says to mix 1 part water to 3 parts powder. ” Next, Pour the water putty mixture into the mold.
Check out the this post! WOW! texasdaiseycreations.blogspot.com
14. Create Faux Plank Table Tops- “you can use a router to create false plank, a wire brush for texture and a mixture of stain and paint to get a barn wood colors.” Found on innovatedrefinishing.com
19 Faux Carrara Marble Table Tops- “In my next kitchen I would dearly love to have white Carrara Marble counter tops. That may be a long time coming, if ever. Not one to do without when I can see a way to get the look by doing a little creative DIY, I decided it would be fun to create faux Carrara marble painting on the top of the sideboard”
“3 colors of grey craft paint – light, medium, and dark . I used Apple Barrel Light Grey, Martha Stewart Crafts Wet Cement, and Apple Barrel Dark Grey. I also used white and black to produce a few more shades of grey to make the veins look varied in color.”
Check out this transformation with detailed instructions on inmyownstyle.com
20. Upholster A Chair By Yourself- Better Homes and Gardens put together a really great slide show showing step by step how to upholster a chair. 19 steps, follow along with bhg.com
22. Stenciling Table Tops With Handwriting Stencils. Stiltskin Studios painted up a pair of vintage French end tables, and used a stencil to write on the surfaces of the table in white paint- “Let’s just say I had “issues” with the stenciling…stenciling over a painted surface is so easy…if you have a little bit of bleeding, you can touch it up. Stenciling on wood means you can’t easily touch up your errors. It took three tries but so worth it!“ Found on stiltskinstudios.blogspot.com
23. 21 Steps To Tufting Upholstery- Make a bench out of a coffee table with tufting. This is quite a classy way to upholster a chair, bench or headboard. This article shows you how. Found on apartmenttherapy.com
24. Create Display Plates For Your Walls With A Marker- Starts with plain ceramic dishes and draw designs, using Pebeo’s Porcelaine fine-point marker. Don’t worry if you make a mistake—the ink can be washed away for up to 72 hours. Allow at least 24 hours’ drying time, then bake the items for 35 minutes in a 300°F oven. Let cool completely. This idea comes from Country Living Magazine.
-Make Decorative Display Plates With Permanent Markers – See more Painted Furniture Online
25. Ceramic Photo Coasters -Blogger Brittany Moser of darkroomanddearly.com made Polaroid-inspired drink holders from color photos and square tiles. “Using a foam brush, spread Mod Podge on the back of the image; then position it on a tile, leaving a 1/4-inch border at the top and sides, and a 3/4-inch border at the bottom. Let dry for 30 minutes. Spread Mod Podge over the photo and exposed tile borders and let dry for one hour; repeat two to three more times. Spray with clear sealant and let dry for 24 hours” See the picture at Country Living Magazine
26. Make Curtains From Twin Flat Sheets– Anna from My Life and Kids shows you step bu step how she made curtains for her dining room, simply by what was in her house already. Do you have a pair of fancy sheets? Pair together something patterned with a drape that is plan. Get a double rod, which can show a peek-a boo of pattern in your home. This idea is a smart one for kids rooms. Change up the room without having to fork out 400+ on drapery.
27. Make Your Own Rustic Herb Crates-Mel made her own vintage looking store crates that we often see at TJ Maxx, but hers are better!! “After making the boxes, I stained them with American walnut, the only stain I have. I cut out the letters in vinyl” Check out her fabulous crates at her blog Broadview Heights
28. DIY Remake of Restoration Hardware’s Industrial Shelving Bracket– Buy 1″ gas line pipefrom Home Depot, along with 2 – Floor Flanges, 2 – 6″ Nipples, 2 – End Caps, Check out more pictures of this project at storefrontlife.com
29. DIY RH Preserved Sea Fan Artwork- “Restoration Hardware sells these one of a kind Perserved Sea Fan Artwork with Grey Mat for $550 a piece, but I made mine for $25.” “You want to order your sea fans online, I bought mine for less than 15 bucks.” Read more at From Gardners 2 Bergers Blog
30. Restoration Hardware DIY Map -“My map ended up being about 3 1/2 feet by 4 1/2 feet- perfect for over the guest bed. Like I mentioned- I wanted it as big as I could get it- without having losing detail via pixelation.” Read more at From Gardners 2 Bergers Blog
31.Silverware Lampshade- “I used a length of thin wire, threaded through the top hole of the silverware and then folded the wire in half. I then twisted the wire to form a single strand, leaving approximately 1″-2” at the top untwisted” Read more about this at fourcornersdesign.blogspot.com
32. How To Paint Your Wood Subfloor- Sick of carpet? Don’t have the $ for hardwood yet? Paint your floor with stencils. Don’t we all wish we could have a floor this pretty!!
Patch the seams and staple holes. She found a great product for patching the subfloor – check it out in this post. Sand the floor, Prime the floor, tape the floor, and stencil with Paisley Allover Stencil 
33. Concrete Floor Stencil Painting –“We spent the weekend painting the concrete floor in the shop” WOW!! Found on themadeshop.tumblr.com
34. DIY Pipe Garment Rack-Rachel shares her D.I.Y. method for making a DIY garment rack from plumbing pipes. “You’ll Need: Two 1/2″ x 60″ black steel pipes, Two 1/2″ x 48″ black steel pipes, Four 1/2″ x 8″ black steel pipe nipples, Two 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ black steel pipe nipples, Six 1/2″ x 1 1/2″ black steel pipe nipples, Six 1/2″ black tees, Four 1/2″ black 90 degree elbows, Four 1/2″ galvinized floor flanges, Two 1/2″ black steel end caps, 1 can of black spray paint (optional) and Work gloves. *Note: My supplies cost around $70-$80.” See pictures and instructions at abeautifulmess.com
35. Slipcover Your Couch- Are you tired of looking at that dated couch of yours? Why not sew slipcovers for it?
“I got 10 oz white cotton canvas from Fabric.com. I consulted their upholstering guide to figure out how many yards to buy. I knew that I was going to make individual cushion covers for both the seats and the back rests so I added some more yards. I bought 22 yards”
See the instructions at HoneyBear Lane.
36. Tea Cups and S hooks – Hang your pots and pans with cups. While there are no instructions on this DIY project, it sure gets your creative juices flowing. Check it out on paneamoreecreativita.it
37.Create Canvas Art Using Letters-Gift Ideas? Have a vaulted ceiling with gigantic walls to fill? Create one large piece of art, which is plain, but features a powerful message meaningful to you and your family. This might be your project! “Continuing my big bang for your buck/cheap gifts, first, pick up a pack of canvases at Michaels or your favorite crafts’ store. On sale I got wrapped, primed 8”x10” canvases for 10/$10. Then glue letters on the canvas.” Found on truebluemeandyou.tumblr.com
38.DIY Wedding Invite on Canvas – Remember your wedding day in a different way….
“When planning our wedding three years ago, I knew I wanted to include elements of hand lettering. I have always had a fascination with calligraphy and its ability to take on any look from formal to playful. I decided to have each of our invitations hand done. When they arrived, they looked like little pieces of art — very frame worthy. I still love to look at this invitation and wanted to have it make more of an impact. Thanks to some creativity, it now makes the statement I’ve always envisioned. By scanning the invite at a high resolution, I was able to upload the file and have it transferred to a 24 x 36 canvas literally overnight! Canvases aren’t just for family photos anymore — mix it up!” See pictures of this project at shutterfly.com
39. How to Get Your Old Home Videos onto the Computer-“Through research, the most simple way to do it is to get the Elgato Video Capture Cord and included software
40. How to Turn any Photo into a Watercolor- Turn piles of photographs into watercolors – no special art skills needed! See how easy it is to make your own works of art with waterlogue.
“Download the Waterlogue app (it’s only available for iPhone for $2.99. Go into Waterlogue app and upload a photo from your camera” Read more on eclecticallyvintage.com
41. Showcase A Logo In A Frame – Love company logos? If so, this project is for you?
“I created a Word document to use as my stencil. I wanted a nice blocky type of font for our all caps last name and a nice flowy font for our first names, which I wanted to be over the top of the block letters. I made the stencils the size they would appear on the plaque. ”
“After positioning the letters onto the plaque, I traced around them with a fine point pen, pushing down pretty hard. When you do that, it leaves an indentation in the wood and that gives you an outline to paint.” View more at 2farmersdaughters.blogspot.com
42. Take Pictures Of Your Kids- Have A Book Made For You With Their Inspirational Quotes
“Kids, seriously, say the darndest things…and as they grow older, we sometimes forget those funny moments. Well, FORGET NO MORE! We have discovered the most adorable book for recording those hilarious moments: “QUOTABLE” from the one and only: Paper Coterie
See this high quality product at How Does She
43. The Best Free Online Classes, – Found on whoknewtips.com
44. Front Loader Cleaning – Take Away The Mildew Smell
“Most front load washers have a drain pump filter which we should check and cleaning out regularly. This is the place where all your pocket goodies end up if they are not in the barrel when a load finishes.”
Failure to clean the filter may cause: Clothes to still be wet after the final spin of a wash, Excessive vibration, Longer than usual cycle times, Unusual pauses in the washing cycle, The washer door to remain locked with clothes inside for unknown reasons”
See step by step instructions on homesavvyatoz.com
45. Weathered Wood Techniques {Oxidation and Stain}
“The experimentation process involved scraps of the bed wood, Rust-oleum sunbleached wood stain, steel wool and white/apple cider vinegar. To make a batch of steel wool and vinegar oxidation stain we purchased large canning jars and simply put a chunk of steel wool in each jar then filled jar 1 with distilled white vinegar and jar 2 with apple cider vinegar. “
Check it out at dearemmeline.blogspot.com
46.Make Your Own Chalk Board Paint, Any Color
“So we were super excited to learn that you can create your own custom colors-and it’s really easy! We first learned how from Martha Stewart whose tutorial you can read here. She recommends that you use latex paint, but we tried it out with acrylic paints with much success”
“Supplies: 1/2 cup acrylic paint (choose any color you like, or mix colors together to make the perfect shade!), 1 tablespoon unsanded grout (this can be purchased at most hardware/home improvement stores, we got ours at Home Depot), mixing cup or bowl, spoon, paint brush and an object or board you plan to paint on.”
See pictures at abeautifulmess.com
47. Build Your own cookbook with Blurb . Add your own family photos and recipes.
” I made my own cookbook. I decided, earlier this year, that I needed a little boost to get out of a cooking rut I was in. I knew what I needed was a project that would help my organize and simplify my recipes. I decided to collect my family favorite recipes and consolidate them into a cookbook that I would really use…not like those cookbooks that I buy that have one or two or three good recipes in them, but a cookbook where I would use ALL the recipes often.”
“First I organized my recipe binder nicely. I took out recipes that I would never make and marked the one I knew already were going to make the cut into the book.”
“I knew I wanted a nice collection of 100+ recipes, and I only had a little more than half of that of die-hard favorites so far. “
Read how she did this on memoriesoncloverlane.com
48. How To Organize, Print and Back Up YEARS Worth Of Photos…
“I think photos and photo albums are one of the only things that really give me true anxiety…..because it’s so easy to get behind! The only way that I can keep myself from worrying about it all is having a system. I thought I’d lay out my system since it works well for me…..and maybe it will help someone else! ” Found on lilblueboo.com
49. How To Dye Buttons! Got tons of left over buttons?
“Most white buttons are made out of nylon or some type of plastic. Rit is one of the few dyes that will color these materials.”
“Basic Recipe: Measure and mix 1 teaspoon liquid dye or 2 teaspoons powder dye with 1 Cup HOT Water. Shake liquid dyes before measuring. Water should be about 140°F. If your tap water is not hot enough, heat some in the microwave or a tea kettle.”
Check out pictures on ritdye.com
50. Transfer Ink From Paper (via Ink Jet Printer) Onto Wood For A Homemade Sign-
“After experimenting with different paints while making these signs, I’ve found that the less sheen the paint has, the better. Cheap acrylic craft paint works best, flat latex paint like the kind I used here is next best.”
“I used Adobe Photoshop to print my backwards words using the “Rotate Canvas” feature under Image, then clicking on “Flip Horizontal”.”
Find the rest of the instructions at diddledumpling.blogspot.com